Suspicious death case probe transferred to CBI

On grounds that there was no progress in the CB-CID investigation

The Madras High Court bench here on Friday transferred the investigation into the suspicious death of a 15-year-old-girl to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the grounds that there was no progress in the investigation conducted by the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID) in the case.

Justice C.T. Selvam ordered the transfer of investigation based on a petition filed by K. Kalaikumar, the father of K. Abarna, who was found dead under mysterious circumstances at Pudukottai in 2011.

According to Mr. Kalaikumar, the headmaster of the government higher secondary school at Poovaimanagar in Pudukottai, Abarna and her five-year-old brother were at home when he and his wife (a teacher) left for work on March 9, 2011. When they returned home, Abarna was found hanging from the ceiling fan with several stab wounds on her body, the petitioner claimed. Nearly 25 sovereigns of gold jewellery were missing from the house, Mr. Kalaikumar claimed in his petition.

He had submitted a complaint to the police and his son, who was witness to the death of Abarna, identified K. Kaviventhan and K. Isaiventhan, the sons of former DMK MLA Kavithaipithan, as the murderers, the petitioner claimed. But the police did not register a complaint against the two suspects owing to political pressure, Mr. Kalaikumar claimed.

Therefore, he had moved the High Court bench and the case was transferred to the CB-CID for investigation in 2011. However, he moved the court again claiming that there was no progress in the CB-CID investigation.

On the directions of the court, the inspector of CB-CID, Tiruchi, the investigating officer in the case, submitted a report seeking six months time to complete the probe. So far, 130 witnesses were examined and the fingerprints of 40 suspects were collected and sent for comparison with the fingerprints lifted from the crime scene, he claimed. The former MLA’s sons were also suspects in the case and two persons, Periyasamy and Elaiyaraja, were arrested, he added.

Justice C.T. Selvam held in his order that the progress of the investigation into the case by the CB-CID was not satisfactory, and transferred the investigation to the CBI.